FEDERAL Parliamentary Secretary for Health Christopher Pyne has promised to stymie any attempt by South Australia to enact voluntary euthanasia laws.

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1 1. Lib MP pledges kiss of death for euthanasia bill 2. Chance for rational debate - The Sunday Mail(SA) complete 2nd Nancy's Friends Training Course - ExitNews 4. MPs told to forget religion in euthanasia debate - ABC News 5. Fight to let terminally ill go with dignity - The Australian 1.Lib MP pledges kiss of death for euthanasia bill The Australian By Jeremy Roberts 19June06 FEDERAL Parliamentary Secretary for Health Christopher Pyne has promised to stymie any attempt by South Australia to enact voluntary euthanasia laws. The threat came as Premier Mike Rann promised a conscience vote for an upcoming voluntary euthanasia bill. ``South Australians support life and not state-sanctioned murder,'' Mr Pyne said. ``The Therapeutic Goods Administration would have to license drugs used so the commonwealth would have to consider what funding, if any, we provide for these services. ``I would work very hard to stymie the legislation.'' He said his opinion would be reflected in that of Health Minister Tony Abbott, and the Government generally. In May 1997, the House of Representatives used its powers over territories to overturn a Northern Territory law that legalised doctor-assisted suicide. South Australian independent MP and former parliamentary speaker Bob Such said yesterday he was gathering support for a voluntary euthanasia bill. He said he was confident the majority of South Australians would welcome the law, which would be used when a patient was in pain that could not be treated by palliative care techniques. But he introduced religion into the debate, calling it a barrier to MPs making up their minds. ``I'll use an example of one person who said `I'm a Catholic MP','' he said. ``I said `No you're not, you're an MP who's a Catholic' -- there's a big difference. ``We're not in there to be representatives of our particular faiths, as worthy as that may be.'' The move by Mr Such coincides with a study trip by former state Labor employment minister Steph Key, to The Netherlands, where she will review euthanasia laws. She yesterday called for voluntary euthanasia to become ``part of the process'' of palliative care, which ``does a good job''.

2 The last bill to make it to the South Australian parliament failed in the lower house in Mr Rann refused to rule out voting for a voluntary euthanasia bill, and pledged it would be a conscience vote for Labor MPs. ``People ask you where you stand on euthanasia legislation -- I'm very old fashioned I always like to see the bill first,'' Mr Rann said. Any private member's bill will face a resurgent Labor right faction and the state's hung upper house. 2. Chance for rational debate SUN 18 JUN 2006 Editorial June 18, 2006 FEW topics raise such strong and divided opinions as euthanasia. It is an area of high emotion, strong beliefs and powerful feelings. However, it is not a topic that can be ignored. An investigation of Dutch law by MP Stephanie Key and a looming private member's bill by MP Bob Such ensure euthanasia will be squarely in the public spotlight in coming weeks. That is no bad thing. In a healthy society sensitive and emotionally charged subjects should be openly debated rather than hidden away. A robust public discussion helps ensure all the facts are on the table and the merits or otherwise of various arguments are exposed. Too often half-truths, scare campaigns and misinformation are allowed to cloud discussion of matters involving heartfelt opinions and deep emotions. It is far better to have the facts of the issue openly discussed and arguments dissected than be led astray by urban myths or spin. In Western Australia, MPs soon will take a conscience vote on the Advanced Health Care Planning Bill. This would allow adults to make ``living wills'' that specify what treatment - if any - can be administered to them in palliative care. It also would give blanket legal protection for doctors, health professionals and family members caught up in such a situation. These are issues South Australians need to consider, particularly as medical technology changes, so that considered judgments can be made about whether this is an appropriate path to follow. The people who want to change the law to allow euthanasia will continue to lobby for change. Those opposed to change will maintain their steadfast position. However, those who have no firm opinion or who have not made up their minds deserve to be fully informed about all aspects of the euthanasia dilemma complete 2nd Nancy's Friends Training Course Exit News

3 16Jun06 On Friday 16 June, 19 new trainees travelled from all states to complete a two day training course in Melbourne and added to the network of Nancy's Friends spread across Australia. Nancy's Friends now has an active pool of over 35 volunteers in all states and can respond promptly to those seeking their services. In the two day intensive course trainees were given courses in counselling the dying, the "traveller"/friend relationship, methods of self deliverance, and the legal obligations of Friends. Graduates from the 1st training course held in Brisbane in Novemeber 2005 presented material and described their experiences. Prominent barrister Greg Barns travelled from Hobart to give a lecture on the legal situation in Australia. For information on Nancy's Friends or to organise a visit from a friend contact Lindy Boyd the National Coordinator on 1300NANCYS (626297) or contact@exitinternational.net 4. MPs told to forget religion in euthanasia debate ABC News Monday June 19, Euthanasia advocates have called on South Australian MPs to put religion aside when debating proposed voluntary euthanasia laws. Independent MP Bob Such plans to introduce a private members bill that would give terminally ill patients the right to euthanasia. Mr Such says voluntary euthanasia laws with strong safe-guards would allow MPs to put religious convictions aside during the debate. The State Government and the Opposition say the issue is a matter of conscience for MPs. Frances Coombe from the Voluntary Euthanasia Society has called on MPs to consider the proposal rationally. "Often one of these fundamentalist Christian-type view points, where it's just looking at imposing their own narrow view of morality on the issue rather than looking at the issue rationally," she said. "It's the job of our lawmakers to look at an issue rationally, if they're not able to do that, they shouldn't be in Parliament." Meanwhile, the Family First party has voiced its opposition to the bill. The party's Upper House MP Andrew Evans has also called for a rational debate. "Any issue that I've ever fought against has been based on logic, and not on religion, that's another cop out," he said. "If we stick to the facts and we stick to logic, we'll find they'll probably agree with what religion says, but the basis of argument is on logic." Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis has described comments about religion and the debate on voluntary euthanasia laws as "a low blow". Mr Koutsantonis says Mr Such is doing what he says Christians should not do, by imposing his own views. "What's important here is not that we have people who use Christian values to make laws, but people who aren't zealots about laws," he said. "People who bring up the same thing over and over again, pushing their own agenda and trying impose their own views on the rest of society, which I think voluntary euthanasia does."

4 5. Fight to let terminally ill go with dignity The Australian Alana Buckley-Carr June 17, 2006 HAVING wasted away to less than 30kg, flesh coming off his gums and his eyes sunken and glazed, Michael Watkins was in "absolute hell" for the last five weeks of his life. The 29-year-old, who passed away in March last year, inspired his parents to fight for the terminally ill to die with dignity. Bill and Karen Spanbroek have been the catalyst for West Australian Attorney-General Jim McGinty's proposed laws, which would allow terminal patients like their son to outline their medical treatment. They have been in close contact with Mr McGinty's office as the draft legislation has been written up. "If the laws had been in place and Michael had a living will, we would have made certain that his wishes were carried out," Mr Spanbroek said. Watkins was diagnosed with juvenile Huntington's disease at 21 and lived longer than many people expected. But after suffering numerous brain haemorrhages and organ failures, Watkins's last weeks were cruel, according to his father. "To me, those weeks were unnecessary for him to live on. His kidneys failed and everything failed but his heart kept going," Mr Spanbroek said. Mrs Spanbroek said while the experience was terrible for her family, she felt for the medical staff who treated her son. "Probably the most horrific experience that I felt was the helplessness in the face of the medicalprofession and the carers because their hands were tied, they couldn't do anything," MrsSpanbroek said. "They were saying sorry to me, (but) in the end I was saying sorry to them. You could physically see it was knocking them around." Mr McGinty did not visit Watkins before his death, despite public challenges by Mr Spanbroek to do so. While the couple had previously called for euthanasia to be legalised, Mrs Spanbroek said yesterday that the proposed legislation was a better alternative as it had stricter controls. "I've never liked the word euthanasia. Personally, I think this is better because if they get (the legislation) up and running and it does have some shortcomings, well, it can always be amended down the track," she said. She welcomed the parliamentary conscience vote on the laws, saying it was a matter of common sense rather than religious beliefs.

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